Only 46% of Retailers Have a Defined AI Strategy Despite 91% Feeling Competitive Pressure

The retail sector is rushing into AI without a roadmap. A new survey of 200 retail decision-makers from HyperFinity finds a significant gap between the pressure to adopt AI and the organizational readiness to do it well.

While 91% of respondents said they feel pressure to use AI to stay competitive, fewer than half — 46% — said they had a well-defined AI strategy backed by clear value cases. Another 42% said they had identified possible use cases but remained uncertain about the commercial value those projects would deliver.

The research points to a sector that has moved fast to explore the technology but hasn't yet built the decision-making frameworks needed to convert that exploration into measurable business outcomes.

Readiness Is Lagging Even Faster

The skills gap is stark. Just 27% of retail decision-makers said their teams were fully prepared for agentic AI deployment. Yet 83% expect AI to either lead or automate routine business decisions across retail operations within the next year.

Thomas Hill, co-founder of HyperFinity, frames it plainly: "The conversation in retail has shifted dramatically over the past 12 months. Most retailers no longer need convincing that AI matters. The challenge now is building the capability to turn AI into measurable business outcomes."

Key Takeaways

• 91% feel AI competitive pressure; only 46% have a defined strategy. The gap between urgency and readiness is one of the research's most striking findings.
• Customer service and inventory management will see agentic AI first. These were cited by 42% and 37% of respondents respectively — repeatable, rules-driven processes are the natural starting point.
• Pricing, loyalty, and promotions remain human territory. Areas requiring commercial judgment and context are expected to move more slowly toward automation.
• Views split sharply by role. Only 9% of E-commerce Directors expect AI to automate most decisions, versus 42% of Chief Data Officers.

Hill's conclusion: "Success won't come from deploying the most AI. It will come from having the strategy, governance and decision-making frameworks needed to create value from it."

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